Watching the Oscars at The Weinstein Company Viewing Party

Watching the Oscars at The Weinstein Company Viewing Party

When Chris Rock speaks, people listen. Especially inside the Beverly Hills Montage’s Marchesa Ballroom at The Weinstein Company’s official Oscars viewing party (presented in part by Indiewire). Even though some guests were still assembling their dinner plates, by the end of his opening salvo, the gathered audience was clapping along, ready for the rest of the evening.

Though not a Weinstein offering, the early onslaught of wins for “Mad Max: Fury Road” generated some big buzz, particularly whenever the film was listed among the nominees. Whether people were cheering associates or personal Oscar pool victories, there was an overall positivity to the entire evening. Even in the best supporting actress category, where two TWC hopefuls (Jennifer Jason Leigh for “The Hateful Eight” and Rooney Mara for “Carol”) had a chance, Alicia Vikander’s win was met with people audibly pleased with the result.

The evening remained social as the ceremony progressed, so much so that when Rock mentioned Harvey Weinstein by name, it caught much of the crowd by surprise. But the party crowd snapped to attention with the entrance of Vice President Joe Biden as he introduced TWC beset song nominee “Til It Happens to You.”

During commercial breaks, the audio from ads went away in favor of a playlist of best original song winners, going in reverse chronological order. The room was subdued when “Til It Happens to You” did not join those ranks. But the chorus of cheers following Lady Gaga’s performance of the song minutes earlier matched the approval inside the Dolby Theatre, apparent from the telecast.

The night was not without its winners, though. A strong, victorious cheer went up through the room when the legendary Ennio Morricone was announced as the winner in the best original score category. And perhaps releasing the pent-up joy not afforded by less-than-expected outcomes in the best song and best supporting actor categories, the night’s most vocal approval came for Leonardo DiCaprio’s much-predicted win.

As the ceremony came to a close, DJ Michelle Pesce (fresh off spinning at the TWC pre-Oscars party the night before), kicked off the post-show music with David Bowie’s “Golden Years,” a fitting tribute and the ideal way to cap off the industry’s biggest night.